부산대학교 도서관

Upon gaining independence in 1965, Singapore prioritized economic survival and the education of its largely migrant population. Consequently, history was often regarded as an irrelevant discipline in comparison to subjects like mathematics, science, and technology, which were considered essential for economic prosperity. Nevertheless, during the 1990s, as Singapore’s economy flourished and the nation gained more experience as country, the significance of history education started to be acknowledged as a crucial factor in cultivating national cohesion and collective identity by fostering a sense of national awareness. The implementation of NE(National Education) in 1997 marked a significant turning point for history education, as it emphasized the narrative of Singapore to build a collective identity among Singaporeans. Subsequently, history has remained an integral component of Singapore’s education system. However, in the 2020s, it has primarily served as a tool to foster a shared identity based on nationality and ethnicity. Consequently, the prevailing approach to teaching history, which is uniform and one-sided, has faced criticism. This study investigates the prevailing pattern in Singaporean history education and evaluates the present-day Singaporean history textbooks utilized in secondary education during the 2020s. This analysis explores how Singapore, a country established by immigrants and previously non-existent, employs history education to foster a collective consciousness of national identity and ethnic affiliation as 'Singaporeans' that was previously absent. The limitations, such as Singapore’s authoritarian political system, rigid social environment, and a lack of education for global universal citizenship, are emphasized in this paper, leading to the formulation of various recommendations.